Lydia Davey

Business surrounds us every day and studying it has given me options to work for some of the biggest and most successful multinational companies in the world.

With a business degree behind me, I know that I have a wealth of experience to back me up in work and personal situations and I carry myself more confidently into all aspects of my life. For example, it’s nice to understand personal finances and key tools to sales negotiations for when I want to get a good deal! I think it also gives you an avenue to continue to learn, formally and informally. Whilst university gives you a comprehensive understanding, you will learn so much on the job which will grow as you experience new things.

Without my degree, I wouldn’t have had the fundamental understanding of marketing and merchandising to land my first role at a global powerhouse like L’Oréal and after returning to university after my first internship, modules (and why I was learning them) all started to click into place as I could see who’s job it correlated to in my prior team.

Post 16 Education: A Levels Human Biology, History, Sociology

Higher Education: BSc (Hons) Management Science

Why did you choose to study business?

I was totally conflicted when it came to choosing my degree as my A-Levels could’ve taken me in 3 different directions.

I thought that a business degree at a great university would offer me practical skills and hoped that as I progressed through my degree a particular path would become evident - which it did. I learnt so much that I carry with me today and it helped me develop a broad range of business knowledge, where other more specific degrees would’ve channelled me into a niche.

Lydia’s experience as a student

I found it very hard at first adjusting to life at university and without studying business before my degree I had to put a lot of work in to just keep up with my peers. It was a lot of independent working which I was used to attending a ‘university style’ sixth form college and I had to motivate myself.

In the end it was worth it, I loved my time at Loughborough and now I am well adjusted to working life which really suits me.

Lydia’s Career

I currently work in the L’Oreal UK&I Head Office based in London. I am the Assistant Retail Brand Manager for a premium medical skincare brand called SkinCeuticals and manage all trade facing marketing for the brand. I work with our field sales team to assist their commercial results delivery as well as managing the marketing calendars for key accounts such as Harrods. Working on the delivery and launch of our ‘advanced clinical centres’ and other permanent brand merchandising are other key elements to the role.

I began working at L’Oreal in 2015 throughout my degree at Loughborough University (summer after Year 1 + year long placements in my 3rd year) both working for Kiehl’s, before completing my degree and joining the graduate scheme in 2017.

Since then I’ve been placed in Dublin, Ireland working for Garnier and L’Oreal Paris and also worked for CeraVe back in London where I am based now. I’ve had hugely varied positions since working here and love that I’ve been kept on my toes!